Attic

Come Again!

Category: Childhood

I was wanting a little mood boost today and I thought I’d see what fragrance samples I had on hand, thinking maybe a cheerful scent would bring a little buoyancy to my heart. I picked Roses de Chloe’. According to PerfumeMaster.org it was introduced in 2013. I spritzed a bit on my wrists and neck, and whoosh! I was flooded with a very happy sense of my mother! I could see myself as a very young child and she who I must have adored at that age because the feeling I have is one of blissful enchantment! This would have been in the early 1960’s, and of course this particular scent wasn’t distributed yet.

So I began a search of what fragrances my mother might have had access to at that time (between 1960 and 1965?) and that might have had “heart notes” of roses. To my nose, this scent by Chloe’ has a hint of something much more complex than roses, even though everything I’m smelling seems to come through the strain of Rose. Am I sensing a “bass note”? And what is it? I don’t know much about the science, art, or even language of Perfumeries, but I definitely have very strong memories associated with very particular scents.

I know my mother enjoyed Evening in Paris for a while. According to Fragrantica.com it was created in 1928 by Ernest Beaux and discontinued in 1969 (although it was newly re-created by others in 1992). One of the “heart notes” of the original Soir de Paris is Rose Damascena, but I don’t know what exactly that is, and I don’t have access to a sample of this fragrance so I can’t confirm that memories of Soir de Paris were evoked by Roses de Chloe’. In comparing the two websites’ descriptions of the two fragrances, I see there are two “bass notes” in common: amber and musk, so it seems quite possible my nose is remembering Soir de Paris when I experience Roses de Chloe’.

I wish I could find exactly which fragrances Mom wore when I was a little girl. It would be such a delight to sample each one and see what memories and feelings are brought to mind. Meanwhile, I am so grateful for this blessing of blissful memory and present and profound happiness!